


Celebrating Days

by ami_ven



Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: Community: 100_tales, F/M, Future Fic, Kid Fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-14
Updated: 2014-04-14
Packaged: 2018-01-19 08:29:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 407
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1462609
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ami_ven/pseuds/ami_ven
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sam had gotten quiet toward the end of the evening.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Celebrating Days

**Author's Note:**

> written for LJ community "100_tales" prompt #033 "birthday"
> 
> (Part of my future!verse. For a chronological list, check out the [LJ master post](http://ami-ven.livejournal.com/212977.html))

"Hey," said Jack softly, as they got back into the car.

They had been out for dinner with their children, to celebrate both A.J.'s birthday and her promotion to major. The meal had been wonderful, especially considering how hard it was to catch both A.J. and her brother Jake both with off-hours or on the same planet at the same time, despite the fact that all four O'Neills worked (or 'contracted', in Jack's case) at the SGC.

But Sam had gotten quiet toward the end of the evening. When Jack touched her arm, questioning, she managed a smile genuine enough that he let it go.

For the moment.

When she didn't answer, Jack left the car engine off and reached out to rest a hand on her knee. "Carter? What's up?"

Sam shook her head. "It's... it's just... I realized, half-way through dinner, that this year, A.J. is older than my mom was when she died."

"Ah." Jack found Sam's hand and squeezed gently.

He remembered the year Sam herself had reached that milestone. It had been fairly early-on in their time as SG-1, but she'd trusted him— well, all of them, Jack, Daniel and Teal'c— enough to confide in them.

And now, their daughter was that same age, older than her grandmother had ever been.

"I just..." Sam continued. "I've gotten so many more birthdays with A.J. than my mom had with me. And I can't help thinking... what did I do to deserve all those years?"

"Save the world a few dozen times?" he suggested.

"Jack," she protested, but her expression had lightened, ever so slightly.

"Look, Carter," he continued, "if there's anything I've learned from all this meaning-of-life-stuff we keep running into, it's that you have to take every opportunity the galaxy gives you, because you might not get another. That's how we got together."

She smile she managed was small, but genuine. "Yes, it was."

"Sometimes, life is not fair, Carter. And sometimes, when you least expect it, life gives you everything you ever wanted and more."

Jack squeezed her hand again. "And I know that, somewhere out there, your mom is happy for you, and prouder than anything."

Sam leaned her head against his shoulder. "When did you get so wise?"

"Occupational hazard," he replied, and pulled her closer. "Totally an accident."

She actually laughed at that, and Jack grinned.

"C'mon, Carter. Let's go home."

THE END


End file.
